Textile shipping container



Sept. 14, 1954 J. B. w. ANDREW, JR 2,689,073

TEXTILE SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed April 9, 1949 INVENTOR JELTMQE ELW. ATLIjFE W,JI

BY 6 MW.

' ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 14, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEXTILE SHIPPING CONTAINER James B. W. Andrew, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., as-

signor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 9, 1949, Serial No. 86,440

2 Claims. (01. 22923) This invention relates to shipping containers, and has to do with containers of the telescopic type formed of paper stock and used for shipping textiles and other articles.

Telescopic containers or cartons are extensively used, some of them in quite large sizes, such containers comprising an open ended tubular liner and upper and lower cover sections telescoped over the liner from the ends thereof and, when the container is closed, disposed with their inner ends in abutting relation. It is desirable, in such a container, that the liner fit tightly within the cover sections to avoid undesirable looseness or play between the parts, while assuring that the walls of the liner and of the cover sections are in close contact so as to be mutually supporting and assure adequate mechanical strength of the container. Due to the practical necessity for a tight fit of the liner within the cover sections,

objectionable delay and difiiculty often is incurred in inserting the liner into the lower cover section preparatory to loading of the container. It is known to provide one wall of the liner with corner slots and a transverse fold line defining a loading panel which, when the liner is mounted in the lower cover section, may be swung downward and outward of the liner giving ready access thereto for loading. While that facilitates loading of the liner once it has been assembled with the lower cover section, it does not obviate the difliculty in inserting the liner in the lower cover section preparatory to loading of the container.

My invention is directed to a telescopic shipping container which avoids the objections above mentioned to the known containers. To that end, I provide a liner of proper size and shape to fit tightly within the cover sections, this liner being open at one side for its full height, which open side is closed by a closure member or sheet scored transversely to provide a fold line positioned above the lower cover section, the portion of the closure member above the fold line constituting a loading panel which may be swung downward and outward of the liner giving ready access thereto for loading. The closure member is provided with means for anchoring it in position, such means conveniently consisting of a flap attached to the lower end of the closure member along a fold line, this flap fitting tightly between the walls of the body portion of the liner, and between the wall of the cover section at which the closure member is positioned and the opposite wall of the liner. The body of the liner, in its partially folded condition may be inserted into the lower cover section with expedition and facility, after which the closure member is inserted into the liner, fitting tightly between the two adjacent walls thereof, and the flap at the lower end of the closure member is forced downward so as to seat upon the bottom wall of the lower cover section. In forcing the flap downward, it exerts a wedging effect and forces the walls of the liner outward into tight contact with the corresponding walls of the lower cover section, while also forcing the lower portion of the closure member outward into tight contact with the corresponding wall of the lower cover section, thereby assuring that all of the wall elements of the liner are held tightly against the walls of the cover section. By constructing the liner in the manner stated, it may be inserted into the lower cover section with a minimum of effort and delay, thereby materially reducing the time for assembling the container for loading, which is an important consideration when packing and shipping goods in large quantity. The container of my invention requires no more material, except for the anchoring flap above referred to, than the known containers above mentioned, and the cost of the material for the flap is so slight as to be negligible compared to the time saved setting up the container for loading. Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric side view of a container embodying my invention, shown as completely loaded and sealed and ready for ship ment;

Figure 2 is an exploded or disassembled view of the container of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view, on a reduced scale, taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 4; and

Figure l is an isometric side view of the container as set up for loading, the upper cover section being omitted.

The container of my invention is made of paper stock, such as corrugated board, fibre board, or analogus material. It comprises upper and lower cover sections I and 2, respectively, which, when the container is completely closed, fit tightly over a liner, to be described presently, the inner ends of the cover sections I and 2 being disposed in abutting relation and the joint therebetween being sealed by tape 3, which may be paper tape, adhesively secured to the cover sections. The cover sections are of known construction and need not be described in detail.

The liner comprises a body portion 4 formed from a blank out to appropriate size and scored to provide fold lines about which the blank is folded to provide wall members 5, 6, and 1 connected together edgewise. The body 4 thus produced is of substantially U shape in cross section and is of appropriate size to fit tightly within the cover sections I and 2. It will be noted that body 4 of the liner is open at one side for its full height. This open side of the liner receives a closure member 8, in the form of a sheet of cardboard or like material, which is scored transversely at its inner face and its outer face to provide a lower fold line 9 and an upper fold line iii. The fold lines 9 and It divide the sheet or closure member 8 into an anchoring flap II, a lower retaining panel i2 and an upper loading panel 3. The closure member 8 is of such Width as to fit tightly between walls and l of the body 4 of the liner, and the flap H is of such length to fit tightly between wall 5 of body 4 of the liner and the opposite wall of the lower cover section 2. In assembling 1e container for loading, the lower cover section is placed upon a suitable fiat supporting surface, such as a table top, and the body of the liner is inserted into cover section 2, with the walls 5 and 1 thereof folded inward toward each other so as to be spaced from the corresponding side walls of cover section 2. That permits ready insertion of the body of the liner within cover section 2. The closure member 8 is then inserted in cover section 2, between the walls 5 and i of the liner body 4 and the flap ii is swung downward and inward about fold line into position at right angles to the lower retaining panel i2. Preferably, the closure member 3 is inserted to its full extent into cover section 2, until it contacts the lower wall of that s tion, preliminary to swinging flap ll The flap i i is then swung downward until seats against the bottom wall of the cover section 2. As flap i I is swung downward it forces the wall members 5 and i of body i of the liner outward into tight contact with the corresponding walls of the cover section 2 and, when it contacts wall 6 of body i of the liner, forces that wall into tight contact with the corresponding wall of cover section 2 while also forcing the retaining panel E2 of member 8 into tight contact with the corresponding wall of cover section 2. In that manner, the closure sheet or member 8 and flap Ii thereof cooperate with body portion 4 of the liner for forcing the wall members thereof into tight contact with the wall members of the cover section 2, while also forcing the retaining panel ii in tight contact with the corresponding wall of the cover section. In addition, the flap H is wedged in place tightly between the wall members 5 and l of body l of the liner and between wall member 6 of body 5 and the opposite wall member of cover section 2. The panel II is then effective for anchoring the closure member, at the lower end of retaining panel [2, in position within the assembly. The retaining panel 12 is of slightly greater height than the lower cover section 2 so that the loading panel l3 may be swung downward and outward about fold line ii], to its position shown in Figure 4. That gives ready access to the liner body 4 which may be loaded with expedition and facility. When the liner has been completely loaded, the panel I 3 is turned upward into vertical position between the upper portions of the wall members 5 and I of the liner body 4, in which position it is held by contact with walls 5 and 1, spacing the upper portions thereof apart a proper distance to assure a tight fit of the upper portion of the liner within the upper cover section I. The upper cover section I is then telescoped over the liner and the joint between the abutting ends of the two cover sections is sealed by the tape 3, as above described.

I claim:

1. A shipping container comprising a four sided lower cover section, a liner body comprising three connected side wall members disposed to fit within said cover section in contact with three of the side walls thereof, said liner body being open at its ends and open for its full height at one side, and a closure member disconnected from said liner body and closing said one side thereof, said closure member being provided with upper and lower transverse fold lines dividing it into an upper loading panel, a lower retaining panel, and an anchoring flap attached to the lower end of said retaining panel, said flap fitting tightly between the adjacent two walls of said liner body and between the third wall of said liner body and the fourth wall of said lower cover section, at the lower ends of said walls effective for holding the walls of said liner body and said retaining panel tightly against the walls of said lower cover section, and an upper cover section telescoped over said liner from the upper end thereof.

2. In a paperboard shipping container, a lower four-panel cover section rectangular in crosssection, an end closure for one end of the cover section, a first U-shaped liner part having three vertically extending hingedly interconnecting panels fitting snugly against the interior surfaces of three adjacent vertical walls of the cover section, and extending thereabove, a second liner part separate from said first liner part and comprising a first panel portion coextensive with the fourth wall of the cover section and extending thereabove, a second panel portion disposed at right angles to the first panel portion and 00a extensive with the end closure, and a third panel portion hingedly secured to the upper edge of the first panel portion and extending upwardly therefrom and serving to close the open upper regions of the U-shape liner part by bridgin the distance between the parallel walls thereof, a second cover section telescopically received over the upper end of the structure formed by said liner parts and snugly fitting therearound and with its lower edges fitting upon the upper edges of the other cover section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,940,190 Shofer Dec. 19, 1933 2,246,097 Illges June 17, 1941 2,453,614 Belsinger Nov. 9, 1948 

